HALLOWEEN RAMPAGE 2008!!!

It was Halloween and the gameplan was simple: meet up with my buddy Jared and wend our way West toward the perfect vantage point from which to capture the annual West Village Halloween Parade, possibly meeting up with some old pals along the way. Well, it all went pretty much as expected, and we all had a blast! Here it is, with a minimum of commentary, and unless otherwise noted the pics that have me in them were taken by Jared.

PART ONE: WORKPLACE SHENANIGANS

Yer Bunche, rockin' the Ro-Man excellence. (photo courtesy Jill Ferraro)

Metal Matt represents as Eddie, the Iron Maiden mascot.

Sukihoshi drops by the design 'ho house in her Sheena, Queen of the Jungle gear.

The Jungle Queen catches up on the day's events.

About fiftten years after I expected to see this character, Raili shows up as Mia Wallace. If she's up for doing another Tarantino character played by Uma Thurman, I'd love to see her don the yellow and black as Beatrix Kiddo next year!

Ro-Man takes a call.

Design 'ho-house sales wunderkind Jamie as a carefully-researched and authentic redneck (Jim Beam is one of our clients, hence the convenient bottle of hooch).

Jillybean lays the foundation for foxy evil.

Nick, an aspiring makeup artist, attends to some last-minute touch-ups for Jillybean.

If Hell's staffed with demons that look like this, damn me for all eternity right now!

Rear view of sheer evil.

Ro-Man with Mia Wallace, the Blonde Demoness, Chickboxer and Bumblebabe.

No sooner than one second after I walked out of the design 'ho-house and hit 3rd Avenue, I ran straight into a group of the costumed. Yes, the Halloween Rampage had begun! (I love the ghoulish Holly Hobby or whatever she's supposed to be.)

PART TWO: JOURNEY TO THE WEST

In honor of the late Rudy Ray Moore: Dolemite and two of his foxy-as-hell all-girl army.

Two minutes after rendezvousing with Jared, the first of two John Lennon and Yoko Ono couples costumes I saw that night.

Jared and Yer Bunche storm 14th Street: "WHERE'S OUR FUCKIN' CANDY?!!?"

Two of my favorite people in the world, Susan and Daniel, trick-or-treating as Death and Jerry Garcia.

"Aaaaaarrr!!!"

My vote for "Best Costume of the Night": a petite woman as AC'DC's Angus Young.

Ace, the Bat-Hound (look him up; there really was such a character).

An ingenious tribute to Alfred Hitchcock's masterpiece, PSYCHO. (photo courtesy Jill Ferraro)

E.T., Elliot and Gertie. (photo courtesy Jill Ferraro)

I usually abhor costumes derived from advertising or commercials, but this Morton's Salt girl was simply too charming not to photograph.

THE MUPPET SHOW's Beaker, a costume all the more impressive for having been thrown together the previous night.

Johnny, that douchebag from the Cobra Kai dojo.

One of the many times that people asked to be photographed with Ro-Man.
Red Riding Hood and her transvestite/lycanthrope grandmother.

Two icons of manliness: a pirate captain and a matador.

Another view of the pirate captain: pirates are a dime a dozen at Halloween, but I always award extra points for rockin' it with an extra-bogus parrot prop.

El Matador!

It's Pam Grier, muthafukka!!!

The bouncer outside a club as we headed West, not Skeletor.

"It puts the lotion on its skin": Jame Gumb makes his way to Christopher Street.

A flapper and a geisha ("gay-sha?").

I love it when families get into the spirit of the night!

I dunno what her boyfriend's supposed to be, but is Cleopatra awesome, or what?

PART THREE: THE ANNUAL WEST VILLAGE HALLOWEEN PARADE

The Avenue of the Americas: the nexus of all realities.

One of the gigantic spectral rod puppets seen along the parade route at the Avenue of the Americas and Christopher Street.

More towering spectres.

Hey, don't look at me! This one's just plain unclassifiable.

Legos on the loose!

In this economy even dreaded inter-galactic bounty hunters get the shit end of the stick.

The second John and Yoko couples costume. I guess the only prerequisite for this one is that Yoko be embodied by an actual Asian chick.

An angel from the West Village.

For all you DC Comics geeks out there: I've seen Zatanna several times over the years, but this is the first Martian Manhunter I've ever encountered.

Too fabulous for words (I'm not certain, but I think this was a woman).

Iss Tony Montana, joo fuckin' cock-a-roach!

Riff Raff, Magenta and Dr. Frank N. Furter: once mainstay characters of the Village Halloween Parade, these were the only people I saw representing THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW. I guess as the world becomes more accepting of "anything goes" pansexuality they are no longer as necessary as they once were. While the acceptance is great, it's sad to see them slowly going the way of the Buffalo.

The Robin Sisters.

The Penguin hits Gotham.

This guy was the only person I ran into who represented in the name of STAR TREK. What the fuck, Trekkies? Where were all of you?

The Jeannie Sisters rock with much fabulousity.

Father Will U. Tell and the Blondies: I have no idea what this was about, but what a composition!

Yo! It's fuckin' Soopah-Man!

I was always a Betty man, but this Wilma...Yabba Dabba Doo, indeed!

Hola, Mamis! Wicked and Wondrous!

Not a costume per se, but I want this guy's hat!

The Hefty Ballerina, swept away by the Terpsichorean muse.

A pair of Ghostbusters.

Freddy Kreuger and Edward Scissorhands: the world's worst "double-Dutch rudder" just waiting to happen.

What can I say? Chicks dig what the Ro-Man's puttin' down!

Ain't it the truth!

The Mad Hatter and the Green Lantern.

The Green Lantern versus Ro-Man for the fate of the Earth! If you think Ro-Man's gonna take a fall for some masked nutjob with fierce jewelry, you've got another think coming!

While shutterbugging at the Avenue of the Americas, I spotted our former Marvel Comics colleague Renee Witterstaetter and got her attention by waiting until she was walking right past me and shouting "Christ, I hate Renee Witterstaetter!!!" That stopped her dead in her tracks, and when she saw it was me she laughed and I called her over for a shot with Jared.

Renee represents.

Proof that the classics endure: Fay Wray, well in hand.

Batman, after discovering the joys of Popeye's Chicken.

The King, Marilyn and...???

Let's hear it for old school mythology!

David Lynch, eat your heart out!

Elasti-Girl and Princess Leia.

El Chapulin Colorado exits a McDonald's on 6th Avenue.

Batman may not have his cowl on, but I'm willing to let that slide thanks to Robin's extra-fabulous footwear!

A helpful demon gives directions to a tourist.

A ghostly bride and jason Voorhees, a match made in Hell.

Just another night on Christopher Street!

Big pimpin', yo!

On the stroll along Christopher Street.

Batgirl and a geisha.

Baby & Buddha.

Skunkette.

Talk about "Girl Power": Supergirl, Wonder Woman and distaff Harry Potter.
Sally and Jack Skellington (aka "the Pumpkin King"), looking far more at home than they did during that whole Christmas debacle.
Considering all the anticipation for the WATCHMEN movie, I was shocked to see only one Rorschach. Just wait 'til next year!
You've just gotta love Rock, Paper and Scissors (though obviously seen here in reverse order).

Strangest couples costume of the night: Pee-Wee Herman and Alice Cooper???

Another Elasti-Girl.

I have no idea whatsoever as to what these two were supposed to be, but I like it strange so they rock!

Captain America and Batman near Christopher Street: what would Bucky and Robin say?

PART FOUR: SUZI'S, THE PUB AND BEYOND

After Jared and I parted ways I went to my friend Suzi's apartment, conveniently located a stone's throw from where I'd spent the last few hours. There I was able to shed the gorilla suit and helmet, take off my shoes and relax by kicking back a few Bud tall-boys. Here's Suzi and her totally awesome pooch, Reggie (aka "Gaylord"), who majestically rocked the Ro-Man vibe.

Sonya and Suzi as Viking Goddess and a stewardess who survived the plane crash.

Cartoonist/goofball Amanda Conner as a snow leopard with a cat-o'-nine-tails.

A.C., shy and demure as always.

A.C. follows Suzi and Viking Goddess on a quest for booze.

Viking Goddess and Suzi at the bar.

Duff-Man!!!

Duff-Man, Marilyn and the dudes from DUMB & DUMBER.

A.C. meets Parrot-Man.

This guy took the prize for sheer conceptual brilliance: he was "a child's interpratation of a superhero," including a spa mask, Y-fronts over a pair of sweats and a towel for a cape. Totally fucking awesome.

Another Angus Young, encountered at the pub in the wee hours.

Viking Goddess and Super-Hero.

A human Q-Tip. Hey, I've seen stupider costumes...

After an entire night of being misidentified by costumed revelers as "space monkey," "Martian gorilla," "spaceman" and, most memorably, "the space mokey's returned from the moon," I ran into exactly seven people who knew exactly what I was supposed to be, including this Stormtrooper who also happened to be a fellow sci-fi geek/brutha-man.

I don't care what you say, dude: simply throwing on a pair of pointy rubber ears doesn't make you Spock, so I still say I only saw one person properly representing STAR TREK. (Nice guy, though.)

Outside the pub where I ended my West Side adventures, I ran into Super-Old Man and a Goldilocks/witch minus her mask.

3:30 AM: A.C. negates her gin & tonics with a delicious grilled dog at Gray's Papaya.

Having been too excited about running about in costume I was far too wound-up to have taken the time to eat more than a couple of beef-stick snacks, so it was a joke of cosmic proportions when this guy sauntered onto the Brooklyn-bound N train. And, alas, there was no chicken in the bucket.

Yer Bunche at approximately 4:40 AM: shagged and fagged and fashed (as Little Alex would put it) on the N train.